​As you think about the New Year, how many of you have set a fitness goal? Maybe you want to lose a few pounds or get in shape to run a 5K race. I think those are worthy goals and I want to encourage you to stick with it even when the going gets tough.

But even more important than that .. I would like for us as a congregation to get inspired about studying God’s Word .. For as the Apostle Paul tells us “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (I Timothy 4: 8)

It’s not going to make much difference if you can run a 4 hour Marathon if you miss heaven. You may be an expert on nutritional supplements, body building and healthy eating, but if you don’t know what’s in the Bible your knowledge is lacking.​I recently ran across a fun little quiz I though some of your Bible scholars might enjoy. (I only got one of them right so don’t feel bad if you don’t get the answers). The answers are at the bottom of the page.

Where is the first tennis match mentioned in the Bible?

Which Bible character had no parents?

What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?

What is one of the first things that Adam and Eve did after getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden?

What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why they no longer lived in Eden?

I know these are really corny, but maybe you can use them to annoy your family or co-workers.

My point is I hope you will make a resolution this year to really get into God’s Word. We have some Bible reading schedules on our information table that will help you read through the Bible in a year. (If you e-mail us we will send you a copy) Another option might be to read THE STORY, which is sort of a “cliff-notes version” that gives you the important themes of the Bible in 30 readable chapters. We also have some copies of this available for sale or you can purchase them at any bookstore.